Dome temperature vs grate temperature


 
S

Steven Simpkins

TVWBB Member
I have purchased a new WSM and was wondering if for the first few smokes I should get remote digital themometer and put on the grate to see what the difference in temperatures are between the thermometer in the lid and the grate. If it reads 225 at grate and 250 at lid I would then know that I need to have the lid at 250 for 225 on the grate.

Thanks Steve
 
Steve:

Not neccessary unless you want the added luxury. Once you get used to cooking via dome temp, you will be fine. When I first got mine I thought I needed an additional temp probe, but in the end, not needed. After a few cooks, you get the feel for how the meat cooks based on dome temp and you'll never look back.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">... wondering if for the first few smokes I should get remote digital themometer and put on the grate to see what the difference in temperatures are between the thermometer in the lid and the grate ... </div></BLOCKQUOTE>You could accomplish the same thing with a cheap oven therm, you should be able to find one for a only a couple of dollars.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Sean S.:
yeah, i just stick a candy therm through the dome and everything's fine. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>except he's already got a dome thermometer and is wondering what the difference is to the grate temp

this is what I meant by an oven therm, just set it on the grate then peek at it from time to time to 'calibrate' your dome therm to the grate (as in you know the dome is usually 10F off for example)

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Steve,
Are you itching to be bald before your time? A lid temp in the 225-275 range, as has been previously posted in this forum, is what you are looking for. Later, if you like, you will be able to zero in on a smaller range of say 240-260, but the difference is immaterial. I find that I get just fine bbq at 260 lid as I do at 230. Just an example. Don't sweat the little things and enjoy
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Dave/G:
Steve,
Are you itching to be bald before your time? A lid temp in the 225-275 range, as has been previously posted in this forum, is what you are looking for. Later, if you like, you will be able to zero in on a smaller range of say 240-260, but the difference is immaterial. I find that I get just fine bbq at 260 lid as I do at 230. Just an example. Don't sweat the little things and enjoy </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Well said Dave!!
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Shawn W:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Sean S.:
yeah, i just stick a candy therm through the dome and everything's fine. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>except he's already got a dome thermometer and is wondering what the difference is to the grate temp

</div></BLOCKQUOTE>

no, he was wondering "if" he should bother.
 
I find that my dome and grate temps vary about 25 degrees at first then edge closer togehter to within 5 degrees during the first hour or two...
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Sean S.:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Shawn W:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Sean S.:
yeah, i just stick a candy therm through the dome and everything's fine. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>except he's already got a dome thermometer and is wondering what the difference is to the grate temp

</div></BLOCKQUOTE>

no, he was wondering "if" he should bother. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
I would bother to compare grate to dome therm if I was to rely on the dome therm. Not so much cuz I sweat a little difference but if you don't know the difference for sure you can compound your errors. Cumulatively, over the duration of a long cook it can be significant.

If the dome is 25F higher and you shoot for 225F - 275F and accept 10F difference you could be running 190F at the grate and still within your margin.

Being someone who has cooked a 20+lb chuck roll at around 200F grate and others up in the 275F range I'm here to tell you the results are not equal. 225F is even too low and slow for such a large cut of meat IMO, lower is worse.

It's one thing to fluctuate 25F from target for even an hour but a very different thing run 50F lower for many hours. I'm not stressing meticulous temp management, just have an idea of the delta between grate and what you are measuring with.
 
It was interesting for me last weekend. Used my Guru for the first time. Set grate probe in the middle of the grate at 225. Then watched as my lid therm read anywhere from 225-255 as the rib cook progressed over the 5-6 hours. The Guru therm never waivered more than a degree.
 
temps is where people start over thinking bbq too much. the only rule to bbq is it is done when it is done. time and temp gives you a rough guess only as to when to start opening the lid and check for done.

low and slow bbq will cook well from 225-300 lid temp. just grab a therm from the grocery stick it in the lid as a guide and dont over think. if your smoker has a therm in the lid just use that.

the therm i have is a candy therm stuck in the vent of my 18" wsm i set the mark on it at 300 and tell the wife if your out by the pit and see the needle past the red mark come get me!!.
 
I have a very good high quality dome thermometer. Last Sunday I was shooting for 300°. As the temp was rising a probe positioned just below the grate ran 15° higher than the dome temp. When I was into the actual cook, and at/or about 300° the dome temp ran 25° to 40° above the grate temp.
 
When stabilized on a low-moderate heat cook (225-275 grate), my grate is about 20 degrees lower than the vent measured simultaneously via calibrated digital remote (ET-73). I did this a few times to be sure and now I just dangle the probe through the vent and shoot for a general range of 260 vent....relax and enjoy the process for low/slow cooks.
 
I am so excited and anxious to do my first smoke with my new WSM 22.5 - I put it together last night in my living room - a thing of beauty! I had planned on using an oven thermometer to monitor the grate temp. Damn I am anxious!
 
I've never understood why the thermometers are placed where they are. Looks to me like they should be mounted the same height as the meat.
 
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